MARTIN O’NEILL last enjoyed a Celtic title triumph in 2004.
The effervescent Irishman was 53 years old and, at that stage of his managerial career, there were no constant references to his age.
One particular snidey hack recently crept out of the woodwork to label the champions’ interim-manager “an OAP” as though it was some sort of affliction.
We got the drift the team chief was well past his sell-by date and a nice, comfy chair awaited in a corner of a retirement home located somewhere bathed in tranquility where he could spend the remainder of his days watching daytime television.
An image was conjured up of the main training pitch at Lennoxtown disappearing under a mound of discarded sweetie wrappers as the veteran gaffer munched his way through an endless supply of Werthers Originals.
Apparently, when you reach that considerable age and stage, you have to take pleasure where you can get it.
A BORN WINNER…Martin O’Neill acknowledges the Celtic fans.
I would remind the sneering cynics that tomorrow is promised to no-one. You don’t want to dwell on the consequences of not clocking up the birthdays.
It’s a mistake to dismiss someone’s capabilities because of a yellowing document with a birthdate on it that has been gathering dust in the loft for quite a while.
Your humble scribe is thirty days older than O’Neill and I have to tell you I have never confused the TV remote for my mobile phone. (Well, not recently, anyway.)
Danny Rohl, half his rival’s 74 years, thought he would indulge in mindgames with the seemingly-decrepit and perma-confused counterpart back in March.
The rookie boss, previously fired by Sheffield Wednesday and without any kind of trophy success, went into that tussle armed with a peashooter while O’Neill possessed a rocket-launcher.
As he prepared for the derby Premiership encounter at Ibrox, Rohl made some scornful remarks about Celtic’s lack of ambition in the Europa League confrontation against VfB Stuttgart in his homeland, a second leg they actually won 1-0 after collapsing to a 4-1 loss in the first leg at Parkhead.
Someone in Govan should have taken their head coach aside and advised him such daft comments were verboten.
Upon hearing the observations, O’Neill smiled and countered with a disparaging line of his own that went along the lines of “so Danny Boy wants to pick the Celtic team”.
I doubt if this native from Kilrea required extra motivation before the first of the double-header in Govan, kicking off with a league game and followed a week later by a Scottish Cup quarter-final.
GOVAN GLEE…Martin O’Neill accepts the acclaim of the joyous Celtic support after the Scottish Cup quarter-final triumph at Ibrox in March.
Outcome? O’Neill’s side fought back from two goals adrift at the interval to gain a point in a creditable 2-2 draw and the Hampden ambitions of the German and his players were obliterated shortly afterwards when they were dismissed 4-2 on penalty-kicks.
Rohl was strangely muted when he turned up with his team in the east end of Glasgow last weekend. Just as well as the visitors were turned over 3-1 – coincidentally the same scoreline when he took on O’Neill for the first time in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final in November.
Talk is cheap, Danny Boy.
O’Neill was already guaranteed his place on the pantheon of Celtic greats even before his first return in late October after the rapid departure of Brendan Rodgers.
At that stage, the septuagenarian inherited a team that had suffered back-to-back Premiership setbacks against Dundee at Dens and Hearts at Tynecastle.
If O’Neill, winner of seven of his eight outings first time-around, thought that was a Herculean task, it was nothing to the shambles he was bequeathed when he returned in January following wasteful Wilfried Nancy’s 33 chaotic days in charge, dropping TWELVE points from six league games, a dismal Cup Final loss to St Mirren and a 3-0 hiding at home from AS Roma.
The players weren’t so much on the floor as subterranean. Their collective confidence had been bundled over the cliff’s edge.
POINT OF ORDER…Martin O’Neill has something to say.
With a mixture of ambition, relish, resilience, determination and drive, O’Neill accepted the awesome challenge – mission impossible, insisted many observers – to attempt to turn things around.
With two games to go before the curtain comes down on a peculiar campaign, Celtic are within touching distance of an extraordinary league and Cup double.
Amazing doesn’t come close.
Phenomenal might be closer to the mark.
O’Neill has somehow contrived to breathe life into an ailing, dispirited set of players to propel them in the direction of silverware.
How he has achieved such a transformation – especially without the assistance of an influx of quality during the January transfer window – will possibly forever remain one of football’s great mysteries.
O’Neill has dealt with every curve ball that has been thrown at him during the turmoil and tumult of a confused crusade that has pitched around wildly in choppy waters ever since the feeble exit from the Champions League in August.
With the considerable and admirable help from his stalwart backroom team of Shaun Maloney and Co, O’Neill has managed to steer the Good Ship Celtic towards a joyous crescendo to the campaign.
Hearts, a point ahead, stand in the way of title success, so unlikely at one stage. Celtic, written off by some folk who should know so much better, are a win away from a simply marvellous accomplishment.
PARADISE…Martin O’Neill awaits the final whistle in last weekend’s 3-1 derby victory.
With a 60,000 crowd at a pulsating, rocking Celtic Park lending their substantial support, it is simply impossible to believe the task is beyond O’Neill and his players.
It’s a day for courageous characters to step up and follow the lead of their manager.
I cannot believe, even for a heartbeat, that Callum McGregor and his team-mates will fail in the task to repay the faith shown in them by their venerable custodian of the touchline.
This will be their manager’s final game at Parkhead before he says farewell in the Scottish Cup Final against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at Hampden a week today.
The Irishman has always been a great advocate of doing things in style.
Celtic’s glistening 56th crown awaits.
And if anyone deserves one last hurrah in Paradise it is Martin O’Neill.
ALEX GORDON
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